Household blanket



July 16, 1940. R AMQRY HOUSEHOLD BLANKET Filed Dec. 20, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 PLAN CRDIJ SECTIGN WARP WIS! July 16, 1940. 2,208,533

R. AMORY HOUSEHOLD BLANKET Filed Bag. 20, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ckcsl 5iICTlON FILLING, WISE WARP; F/LL 1? C RE ends; sac-rm! N .5 C-TION WARP W! s S CROSS July 16, 1940. R. AMORY HOUSEHOLD BLANKET Filed Dec. 20. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W023 95 35 loiuwm nmuku m 0 C 6 m L m F NAPFED F'H. Lmc;

WARP

July 16, 1940. R, M Y 2,208,533

HOUSEHOLD BLANKET Filed Dec. 20, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 CROsi' SECTION HORISONTAL PH 1. mm; conzs WA RPS July 16, 1940. R. AMORY uousnaom BLANKET Filed Dec. 20, 19:59 5 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR Patented July 16, 1940 UNITED s'rArss PATENT orrlcs F ---poration of New Hampshire Manufacturing Company, Nashua, N. IL, acor- Application December 20, 1939, Serial No. 310,191

19' Claims.

This invention relates to a novel artificial-fibre household blanket of improved construction and characteristics and provides a blanket consisting essentially or principally of rayon fibre but having the advantages of all-wool blankets, and at a far lower cost. Moreover, my blanket in important respects is superior tomany if not most woolen blankets of equivalent or even somewhat greater weight and cost. The tendency of the 1 present day demand is toward lighter blankets,

but it is difficult to provide, particularly at a popular price, a blanket which is attractive, both light and strong, relatively non-shedding, of high moisture absorption, and at the same time really 1. warm, that is, of high insulating value. The present invention provides all these advantages in a low-density blanket of relatively low cost characterized by a novel lofty and homogeneous, though firmly anchored, stifi and resilient nap, consisting essentially or principally of staple rayon fibre in the blanket construction herein described. These objects are attained by my novel blanket having a composite filling yarn in which short lengths of relatively coarse denier artificial fibre f rm the wrapping portion of each thread of fill g yarn. This wrapping portion, preferably slack twisted and undrafted, though with the fibres randomly intermingled, is lightly laid upon and loosely twisted with or loosely wound around so as to be carried by a small ,but relatively strong core thread (preferably a spun rayon core) which serves as a reenforcement for the mapped rayon exterior of the blanket, in which practically all of what originally was the available or exposed wrapping portion of the filling appears as nap of the finished blanket. These filling threads made up of core yarn, as more fully hereinafter described, are woven upon a light but strong wrap, preferably a warp of spun rayon fibre. Thus. the finished blanket has a relatively large proportion of a lofty, uniform, resilient and thoroughly intermingled nap, which provides the advantages above set forth, and a close, homogeneous nap which in normal household use and cleaning of the blanket does not become materially dislodged, matted, or otherwise adversely affected.

The blanket construction and how it secures in accordance with this invention, combined with two vertical cross-sectional views, namely, a warp-wise cross-sectional view at the left, and a fiilling-wise cross-sectional view above the Plan v ew;

Fig. 2 is a photomicrograph (7X) showing in plan, together with a warp-wise vertical crosssectional view below and a filling-wise vertical cross-sectional view at the left, a partially completed blanket'of the invention before the napping operation has been performed, illustrating atypical blanket construction of the invention,- the same construction as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a photomicrograph (15x) showing a vertical cross-section of a typical blanket, taken filling-wise, and showing the nap as herein described extending above and below the two fillin threads there shown which extend across the central horizontal portion of the figure;

Fig. 3a is a photomicrograph (25x) showing another vertical cross-section of the blanket of Fig.. 3, still further enlarged, taken filling-wise and prominently showing one napped filling thread (vertically arranged in the photomicrograph);

Fig. 4 is a photomicrograph (15x) showing a vertical cross-section of the blanket of Fig. 3, taken warp-wise;

Fig. 5 is a photomicrograph (25x) showing a horizontal cross-sectional view taken at the base of the nap and just above the level of the interwoven filling and warp yarns of the blanket; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective drawing illustrating in conventional form the blanket of this invention.

In the manufacture of the preferred embodiment of the blanket of this invention, the core of the filling may be made in conventional manner from ordinary spun, hard-twisted rayon, say in a yarn number of 195 (cotton count) and a denier of 1.0 to 2.5, and in which the fibre length is of little consequence so long as the core is sufficiently strong. I have discovered, however, that the filling wrapping to provide the full advantages of this invention must be made upof a yarn of relatively larger denier with an average in excess of 2.'l5, '4.50 to 5.0 or even larger being the present preferred average, mean, or predomi nating denier. The fib're length is also of importance and the filling wrapping should include a substantial proportion of fibres of a length of 1 /2"- /l in order to secure an adequate number of ends to provide the desirable nap of this invention. Also, as in Snia" rayon, the preferred irregular cross-section of the fibre itself appears tobe of advantage in securing a springy nap, and it is found in practice that apparently the more irregular the cross-section the springier the material, for example, fibre cross-section in u general resembling that of structural steel shapes of channels, angles, Is, H's, or the shape of the letter E in cross-section, and somewhat crinkly or bent, most closely approximates the mechanical, stiilly resilient characteristics of relatively high-grade fine wool fibre so as to give the best appearance and feel or hand in. the finished product. After themixing of rayon fibres for the filling wrapping to give the desired color, it is subjected to carding as in a revolving woolen card, preferably one in which the sliver from the card is associated with the core by a rubbing action as in the carding machine of the Whipple & Ekdahl Patent No. 1,439,347, December 19, 1922,

m following which the filling yarn. a ter a li ht twisting, is ready for the loom.

In the preferred practice, the filling wrapper or cover is but slightly and slackly twisted with or around the core and is subjected to little or no drafting eifect,the less drafting the better. As a result, the fibres of the wrapping are not materially or undesirably parallelized as they would be in a system wherein the wrapping is substantially drafted, as is common inthe manufacture of yarn in the cotton system, nor is the resultant wrapper like a plied yarn. Alternative to the use of the device of the above mentioned patent, the

so called Pease frame may be used in which the cover is but slightly drafted before being lightly twisted about the core, in this case the draft ordinarily not exceeding 2.

In either practice, the fibres are randomly and heterogeneously intermingled and tangled, as distinguished from substantial parallelizing thereof as occurs with appreciable drafting (as in an ordinary cotton or worsted system for example), with the result that the napping operation may be conducted so as to produce the characteristic nap of the blanket of this invention, the stiffness and resiliency of which approximates that of a fine wool blanket. Moreover, the nap of the blanket of the present invention minimizes heat transfer therethrough because of the close homogeneous character of the nap by reason of the relatively large number of random crossings of the unarrayed fibre, thus providing a large number of small, more orless uniformly spaced dead air cells which tend to minimize convection, thus giving a blanket of high insulating value, for, by far, the major portion of heat transfer through any blanket is by reason of convection.

Though the size of the core should naturally bear some reasonable relationship to the size of the filling wrapping, the core may vary from say 14s to 30s with a filling wrapping of 6s, ranging to as large as Is, or coarser, though preferably 2s to 4s associated with a core of 20s,,all referring to cotton count.

The filling 'thus prepared is then woven, referring to the drawings (Figs. 1-5), with warp threads of relatively small cross-section, for example, 20s, as compared with the' filling which shows carrying thereon and interwoven therewith the core yarn filling heretofore described, consisting of a core and the surrounding wrapping which, when repeatedly and carefully napped, serves to provide the characteristic upstanding nap of the blanket, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, 3a, and 4, typical photomicrographs illustrating the blanket of the invention, the warp threads and the filling core being relatively small and hard-twisted, are buried in the filling so as. not to be appreciably afiected by the napping operation, and since each filling thread is strengthened by its core thread, the rayon wrapaaoaesa ping as herein described may be much more effectively and more fully napped than an ordinary filling so as toprovide the desirable nap characvided a novel low-density blanket having a loftier and closer intermingled nap than is found or can Also, there is secured be had in' any commercial all-wool blanket of equal weight and finished strength. Because of these features, my blanket has the warmth, appearance and feel of a high-grade all-wool blanket though possessing more weft-wise strength, and low cost advantages, even lower in cost than a medium grade all-wool blanket. For example, in a typical commercial winter-weight blanket of this invention weighing from 11 to 12 oz. per sq. yd., a thickness of approximately A; of an inch is provided (.300"-.365") and in which the filling strength is from 28-36 lbs. and the warp strength is adequate, approximately 30 lbs., despite the fact that the warp does not exceed 25% by Weight of said blanket.

Also important, as above mentioned, my blanket provides a very rapid and substantial moisture regain in excess of 10% by weight, and usually 12.2%12.5%, as compared with 12.7%- 13.5%, as is common in all-wool blankets, whereas cotton blankets ordinarily exhibit a moisture regain of substantially less than 8%. The moisture absorption is tested by obtaining the moisture regain from a, bone-dry condition, the blankets being exposed to 65-67% humidity at a temperature of F. Moreover, heat transmission tests demonstrate that the insulating qualities of the blanket of this invention are superior to all-wool blankets of comparative price, and, in fact, at least equal to various all-wool blankets heretofore tested selling at a price in excess of one-and-a-half times the current sales price of the blankets of this invention. As above men tioned, the major portion of heat transfer through the blanket is by reason of convection, and the heat transfer may be conveniently tested in any standard method of measuring heat transfer through such a medium and, preferably in addition, by measuring the resistance to .airfiow therethrough. The blanket of this invention, in both types of tests, because of its lofty homo,- geneous nap, is equal or superior to wool blankets such as just referred to.

Though, for convenience, the preferred artificial-fibre employed in this invention has been referred to in the specification as rayon, meaning viscose or cuprammonium cellulosic fibres commonly termed rayon, it is intended that various other artificial-fibres may be used, including cellulosic or protein base fibres, which will provide the blanket as herein claimed, though if cellulose acetate fibre be used, some sacrifice of moisture absorption or regain is involved. Also, if desired for additional springiness, it is contemplated that a small percentage of wool fibre (for example l0-20%) may be employed by initially mixing it with the artificial fibre filling 1. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said.

fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound about and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a low density household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.7 5 denier, loosely wound about and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with substantially all of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said. wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having a moisture absorption factor in excess of 10% by weight.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped Wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area, and the napped thicknesses of the blanket onbothsides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket. having a moisture absorption factor in excess of 10% by weight, and an insulating value of the order of that of an all-wool blanket of comparative weight and thickness.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loose- 1y wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with substantially all of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having a moisture absorption factor in excess of 10% by weight.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard- -twisted' core thread with substantially all of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having a misture absorption factor in excess of 10% by weight, and an insulating value of the order of that of an all-wool blanket of comparative weight and thickness.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 4.00, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form ,of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a relatively thick low-density household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 4.00, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with substantially all of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 4.00,'said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a hard-twisted fine warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having a moisture absorptionfactor in excess of 10% by weight.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 4.00, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hardtwisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted fine warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having a moisture absorption factor-in excess of 10% by weight and an insulating value of' the order of that of :an allwool blanket of comparative weight and thickness.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple rayon fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound about and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple rayon fibres: of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having a moisture absorption factor in excess of 10% by weight.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a-lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of rela tively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple rayon fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, thoughv firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having a moisture absorption factor in excess of 10% by weight and an insulating value of the order of that of an all-wool blanket of comparative weight and thickness.

14. As a new article of manufacture, an allrayon low-density household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple rayon fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier. loosely wound with and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling, said blanket having armoisture absorption factor in excess of 10% by weight and an insulating value of the order of that of an all-wool blanket of comparative weight and thickness.

15. As a new article of manufacture, a low- I density household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft, substantially non-drafted yarn con= sisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound about and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

16. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn drafted less than 2.00, consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess'of 2 .75 denier, loosely wound about and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with a major portion of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneous nap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

17. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally though firmly of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of ranrelatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

18. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificialfibres of an average fibre denier of at least 2.75, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound about and carried upon a smaller and hard twisted core thread with substantially all of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform weight of the total volume of the blanket, and

a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling.

19. As a new article of manufacture, a lowdensity household blanket composed principally of a filling having a napped wrapping of relatively coarse, soft yarn consisting essentially of randomly intermingled staple artificial fibres of an average fibre denier of at least 4.00, said fibres being mainly fibres in excess of 2.75 denier, loosely wound about and carried upon a smaller and hard-twisted core thread with substantially all of the volume of the blanket constituted by said wrapping raised in the form of a lofty uniform homogeneousnap throughout the area and napped thicknesses of the blanket on both sides thereof, though firmly anchored to the core thread, said nap constituting at least 25% by weight of the total weight of the blanket, and a relatively small hard-twisted warp interwoven with said filling. 7

ROBERT AMORY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,208,555. July 16,19LLO.

ROBERT AMORY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Pagel, first column, line 58, for the word "wrap" read -warp--; pagefi, first column, line 25, claim 2, for "excess" read --excess--; and second column, line 28, claim 6, for misture" read --moisture-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same.may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of September, A. D. 19140.

DISCLAIMER 2,208,533.Robert Amory, Milton, Mass. HOUSEHOLD BLANKET. Pat-entdated July 16, 1940. Disclaimer filed January 2, 1947, by the assignee, Nashua Manufacturing Company. Hereby enters disclaimer to claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13,14, 17, 18, and 19 of said patent.

[Oflicial Gazette January 28, 1947.] 

